How to View and Clear Clipboard History in Windows 10


 Viewing, saving files in, and clearing the clipboard history is very simple if you understand everything under the hood. All you need is to follow this article keenly.

To view and clear clipboard history on your computer, you can undertake 5 main routes.

These include paths through the graphical user interface. Alternatively, you can use the command line. Using the command line may (and mostly) require computer programming skills.

However, all you need (here) is to copy and paste the commands as I shall outline in this article. What is more? Let us get started.




Highlights of Viewing and Clearing the Clipboard


For easier understanding, l shall group the commands into 2 categories, depending on the permanency of clearing the clipboard history.

To access and clear the history, use two short-cuts. This entails pressing the Windows and V keys, or Windows key + V.

The long route entails accessing it through Settings when you start by clicking the windows button. Once at the clipboard you can clear the history.

Alternatively, you can restart your computer. If you want to permanently clear the history, use the command line or Notepad.

Before undertaking the above processes chronologically, here’s all you need to know about the clipboard and its history.


Why You Should Use or Clear the Clipboard


The clipboard enables you to cache various pasted items. It has improved efficiency since even if you delete or accidentally discard a copy of an item, you can trace it in the clipboard.

The clipboard saves a maximum file size of 4MB, averaging 25 items. If the number of saved items exceed 25 items, new saves auto-replace old ones.

Another reason to clear the clip history is the possibility of a hacker accessing and maliciously using it. That is why you may need to read more about malware software.

Having known what a clipboard entails and why it is important to you, let us have a look at how to use it. Here is the most explicit procedure to view and clear the Clipboard.


Way No. 1 of Viewing and Clearing the Clipboard History


Click the Windows Key. Type settings in search (autofocus) bar. The Settings App avails to you a myriad of options, the first one being system. Click on it.

This lands you in a long dropdown menu. Scroll down the bar until you see Clipboard. Tap it.

On the Clipboard interface, you will see if the clipboard is on. If it is on (already) it means the clipboard has some history. You can clear the history by tapping Clear, down the interface.

If it is Off, turn it On, then proceed to make several copies of a file(s).  This takes us to another step, viewing and clearing your clipboard history.


Way No. 2 of Viewing and Clearing the Clipboard History


Simultaneously press Windows Key + i, on your keyboard. This leads to the settings menu. Move to system, Clipboard, and finally clear the history, as in step 1 above.


Way No. 3 of Viewing and Clearing the Clipboard History


Press Windows key and V. This lands you into clipboard history. On each of the saved copies, click on ellipses (3 dots) followed by delete or Clear all.

If you Pin it, you will not clear the copy permanently until you unpin it and redo the process of Delete or Clear all.

The following are other ways of clearing clipboard history permanently.


Way No. 4 of Clearing the Clipboard History


Type CMD in the search bar. On the command line presented, paste and run this command: %windir%\System32\cmd.exe /c "echo off | clip". Then, close the command line. To confirm successful history clearance, try pasting a former copy.


Way No. 5 of Clearing the Clipboard History


Open Notepad. Copy, paste, and save the following file with a .bat extension:

%windir%\System32\cmd.exe /c "echo off | clip"

wmic service where "name like '%%cbdhsvc_%%'" call stopservice

wmic service where "name like '%%cbdhsvc_%%'" call startservice

Reopen the saved file from the File Explorer or search bar. The clipboard history should be cleared.


Conclusion


The shortcuts to viewing (and temporarily clearing) the clipboard history are:

1.      Windows key + V => Clear all

2.      Windows key + I => System => Clipboard => Clear Clipboard data => Clear

Alternately, tap Windows key => Settings => System => Clipboard => Clear Clipboard data => Clear or use the Windows Prompt or Notepad as outlined in this article.


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